No more IPL matches in Chennai this year after protests hit Tamil Nadu: Report

IANS photo

Chennai: All T20 matches scheduled to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium will now be reportedly shifted to another venue outside Tamil Nadu. The move comes on the back of anti-IPL protests across the state and a day after two protesters hurled slippers on the field during a CSK vs KKR match.

News agency ANI quoted sources as saying that the matches will be moved out of the state but did not mention the new venues. Tamil Nadu Cricket Association has also said that ticket sales for Thursday's match between CSK and RR has been suspended.

Massive protests have been witnessed across Tamil Nadu in the run-up to IPL with pro-Tamil groups alleging that the tournament was a way of diverting attention from the issue of establishing the Cauvery Management Board. Several political parties too have come together in demanding that the Centre establishes Cauvery Management Board. Scenes of angry demonstrations often degraded to clashes with police officials with rail and road traffic in several cities of the state being disrupted.

After protesters had threatened matches at MA Chidambaram Stadium, IPL Commissioner Rajeev Shukla met Home Secretary on Tuesday and was assured of complete security cover for players and spectators. As many as 4000 security personnel were deployed at the stadium before the CSK vs KKR clash - the first IPL match here since 2015. Nonetheless, activists belonging to a pro-Tamil outfit managed to throw slippers on the field - one narrowly missing CSK player Ravindra Jadeja. The activists were detained and marched out.